Electric switch



.June 17, 1930. F. w. ANDREW @$754596 ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed April 7, 1928 Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED ASTATES PTENT'OFFICE FREDERICK W. ANDREW, OF ANDALUSIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE tended.

have ASSIGNMENTS, rro 'THE ELECTROLOCK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF VICKSBURGP,

-MISSISSIPPI, A. CORPORATION OF MISSISSIPPI Ennemis swir My invention relates to electric switches of that character in which a locking means is associated with the switch relation to theI contact elements pf the switch that the functioning of the latter is controlled by the locking means.

The vgeneral obj/ect of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated which is extremely simple in construction and which also is highly eicient 4for the purposes for which it is designed and in- It also is an object of theA invention to provide a novel construction and arrangement` of means carried by the locking element or means of the device for controlling the switch contact members thereof.

The device is especially adapted'for use for controlling the ignition circuits of interd nal combustion engines, particularly for such circuits employed in the operation of the motors of automobiles and other likev vehicles. s

In order that the invention may be readily understood and its practical advantages fully appreciated reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, in which I illustrated an embodiment thereof which. is atl present preferred by me'. However, it isto beunderstood' that the invention is susceptible of embodiment in other forms of construction than that illustrated and that changes` in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the said invention or the principle thereof.

In therdrawin Fig.V 1 is a View partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation of a device embodying the invention, together with the parts associated therewith andp adapted to be controlled thereby;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and extending longitudinally and centrally ofthelock and switch mechanism; and

sectional view taken in a Fig. 3 -is a central, vertical, longitudinal N plane atv right an les to thatin which Fig. 2 is taken. )gli the. drawing I 'have shown a switch and in such Y 1928. Serial. No. 268,302.

casing l provided with a hollow projection or boss 2 constituting al nipple, in4 which is secured a tubular sleeve or thimble 3 within which in turn is mounted and connected the adjoining end portion of a conducting wire 4 provided with a wrapping of insulation, as shown, and also one end portion of coils of wire 5 and 6 which constitute protecting means for the said conducting wire 4 and the insulation therefor. The -opposite ends of the coils 4 and 5 are permanently secured within a thimble 10 to the outer end of which is secured a tubular member or section l1 which Vis secured within an opening of the casing of a timer 12. The

other end of the conducting wire 4 is 'conv nected with a terminal 13 mounted within a insulating material in the K storage battery 20 one side of which is ground/ed as indicated at 2l and the opposite side of which is connected through an ammeter A to one end or side of the primary 22 of a transformer, the other end of which is connected by a wire indicated at 23 to a binding post 24. The secondary 25 of the transformer is connectechto the distributer -as usual and in known manner. The; binding post 24 is mounted within a nipple 26 projecting laterally from the casing 1. The inner end of 24sis enlarged and is provided with a 'recess or opening 27 within which is mounted' a con act 28 which is held in its outermost position by meansl of a coiled spring 29 one end of which is seated against the bottom of the opening 27 andthe opposite ,end of whichis seatedagainst the bottom of an axial opening in the contact 28. The biming' post 24 together with 4the innerv enlarged portion thereof is supported in a the binding post `ing 36 which in turn is mounted within the outer end portion of the casing 1. For the purpose of securing ythe axially movable ring contact member 31 to the inner end of the reciprocatable lock cylinder 35 I have provided 'a headed screw 32 which extends through an opening in the bottom of thev said contact member 31 and engages 'the inner closed end of the said lock cylinder, a-s shown. For the purpose of insulating the contact member 31 from the lock cylinder I have interposed a washer 33 of insulating material between the two, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and have also interposed a washer 37 of insulating material between the headv of the said screw and the bottom of the contact member 31. Washers 38 and 39 of l smaller diameter are interposed betweenthe .35 is controlled or washer 37 and the head of the screw 32. A coiled tension spring 40 is interposed between the inner end of the casing 1 and the washer 38, previously referred to, and holds or tends to hold the lock cylinder with the parts carried thereby in its outermost position. In such position the contact 28 contacts with the-contact member 31 at a point near the inner or rear edge thereof,

The extent of the reciprocator or backand-forth movements. of the loc cylinder limited by a screw which extends through the casing l1 and the bushing 36 and the inner end of which projects into a slot 46 of limited length in the side of the lock cylinder.

The lock cylinder 35 is provided with a barrel 48 having a key slot or opening therein (not shown) for the insertion of a key, by means of which the said barrel may be rotated and the spring pressed plunger 50 withdrawn from its keeper or recess 51 in the inner side of the casing 1. When the locking means is in locking position and the plunger is withdrawn means of a key the spring 40 operates to cause outward movement of the lock cylinder together with the barrel 48 andthe plunger 50. When the lock cylinder is in a L its outermost unlocked position the plunger 50 is held ininward position by reason of the engagement or contact of its outer end with the inner vside of the bushing 36. y

At such time the contact 55 is in contact with the outer edge of the contact member 31, as illustrated i-n Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The c ontact is slidably mounted within an axial opening 56 lprovided in a thimble 57 connected to the adj oining end of the conducting wire 4 previously referred t0. The

Yposite end against from its keeper by thimble 57 is mounted within a bushing 60 of insulating material provided in the outerv end cf the -sleeve 3 and is held in position therein by means of a spacer sleeve or bushing 61. A coiled spring 62 mounted within the opening 56 and seated at one end against the bottom of said opening and at its opthe bottom of the axial opening in the contact 55 operates by expansion to hold the said contact outwardly against either the contact member 31 or against the periphery of the inner edge portion of the lockcylinder 35, depending upon whether the 'lock is in illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, or in locked position, as shown in Fig. 3. When in the latter lposition the conducting wire 4, which is electrically connected at 4one end to the interrupter 16 as already described, is grounded either through the casing of the lock switch to the metal plate 65 which may be a part of the car. bod (or at any rate is connected to the car bo y), or through the sleeve 3 and the coil 5 to timer 12. i

The casing 1 of the switch is supported upon the metal plate 65 of the car by means o a cup-shaped member 70, the bottom of which is provided with an opening the ed es of which are bent outwardly and exten ed through an opening plate and are bent around and in engagement therewith, as shown at 72; The reduced end portionof the lock cylinder 35 projects through the opening Jformed by the bent edges of the openingl in the bottom of the member 70, as illustrated.` The outer end portion of the c/asing 1 is extended into the cup-shaped member and is secured therein by mean-s of headed screws 75 which pass through openings in the side of the said cup-shaped member and engage tapped openings provided in Ythe said casing. It will be apparent by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing that when the locking element of the lock is in unlocked position both of the contacts 28 and 55 are in contact at different ypoints with the contact member 31, which, in the construction as illustrated is of cylindrical form. When, however, the locking means is moved into locked position, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the contact 55 is disengaged from or is out of contact with the `contact 31 and is 4in contact with the barrel 35 of the lock. When in such position the insulated member or side of the interrupter 16 is grounded.

. Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim and desire to 4secure by Letters Patent is: f

' 1. A switch for controlling the ignition circuit of an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing, locking means movably mounted within said casing and supporting a contact ixedly connected thereto unlocked position, as

the casing of the l 71 in the said metal I and movable therewith, stationar contacts mounted within said casing, sai contacts being included within the ignition circuit and both of which are in contact with the.

said movable contact when the movable locking `-element is in unlocked position, and one of said contacts being out of contact with the said movable contact when the said lock- ."fing element is moved into locking position and in contact with the said locking means.

movable with the -said movable locking grounded.

. be held yieldingly means, and stationary contacts located in said casing one ofv which -has connection with a source vof electrical energy and the other one of which has connection with the interrupter of a timing device of said circuit, both of the said stationary contacts being in contact with the said movable contact element when the locking means is in unlocked position, the stationary contactwhichy has connection with the said interrupter contacting with the said locking means upon the movement of the said lookin means `into locked position whereby sai contact is grounded.

3. An electric switch for controllingthe ignition circuit of an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing, a locking means reciprocatably mounted within said casing, a contact element mounted upon the inner lend of the said reciprocatable locking means,

stationary contacts mounted within the said' 4casing one of which contacts has connection with a source of electrical energy and the other one of which has connection with the interrupter of the timer of the ignition system, the latter contact contacting with the movable locking means when the latter is moved into locking position whereby the connection to the said interrupter is 4. An electric switch for controlling the an internal combustion engine, comprisinga casing, locking means reciprocatably mounted in said casing, a contact element mounted upon said locking means and reciprocating therewith, the said elementv being of cylindrical form, stationary contacts mounted upon .said casing and projecting inwardly thereof and' adapted to against the periphery of the said contact element when the latter occupies its outermost position with the locking means in unlocked position, one of the said stationary contactshaving connection with a source ofelectrical energy and the other having connection with the insulated contacting therewith whereby the connectiony with the said interrupter is grounded.

5. An electricl switch for controlling the circuit of the ignition system of an internal combustion engine, comprising a casing, a locking means reciprocatably mounte in said casing, a moveable contact element of cup shape-mounted upon and insulated from the inner end of the saidlocking means, means tending to hold the said locking means and the said contact element mounted thereon in their outermost positions in which the said locking means is in unlocked position, stationary contacts mounted upon the wall of the said casing and projecting thereinto, one of said stationary contacts having connection with a source of electrical energy and the other one of which has connection with'the insulated side of the interrupter of a timing device, means for yieldingly holding said stationary contacts against different points of the periphery of the said movable contact element when the latter is in its outermost position, and the second contact adapted to engage with the said locking means when the' latter is in its innermost locking position whereby the insulated side of the saidvinterrupter is grounded.

6. An electric switch for controlling the ignition circuit of an automobile, comprismg a casing, a cup-shaped member mounted upon and having permanent connection with a metal plate constituting a part of the body structure of the automobile, the front end of the said casing projecting into the said cup-shaped member, means for securing the said casing and cup-shaped member together, locking means reciprocatably mounted within said casing and projecting through the said plate whereby it is rendered accessible, a contact element mounted upon said locking means and movable therewith, stationary contacts mounted upon the wall of the saidcasing and projecting thereinto, one of said stationary contacts having connection with a source of electrical energy and the other having connection with the positive side of the interrupter of the sys- A,

tem, both of said stationary contacts being in contact with the said movable contact element when the locking means is in unlocked position and one of the said stationary contacts being o ut of contact with the said movable contact element when the locking means is in locked position and in contactwith the outer side of the said locking means. y

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 4th day of April, A. D. 1928.

FREDERICK W. ANDREW.

member of the interrupter of the said system, and the latter when the reciprocatable locking means occupies its locked position 

